See how Coke Studio is bringing music to deaf fans in Pakistan

Deaf music fans in Pakistan can now feel and experience their country’s biggest music platform, Coke Studio.

Coke Studio, a Pakistani live music television series, for the deaf uses a studio-like setup to enable hearing impaired persons to feel and enjoy Coke Studio from the comforts of a sofa, embedded with hundreds of tiny vibration engines and LED lights synched with music.

A grand LED installation surrounding the couch provides synchronised mood lighting to elevate the experience visually. A LED screen in front of the couch displays the video, and the ambience is enhanced by on-set guitars, keyboards and other musical instruments.

"Whatever my body felt, whatever my brain thought, even though we cant hear the music, we can feel it."

Coca-Cola Pakistan tested the innovation earlier this year in Bangkok, where students and faculty from Pakistan's Deaf Reach School experienced Coke Studio for the first time. "Whatever my body felt, whatever my brain thought, even though we cant hear the music, we can feel it," one happy listener said.

Based on the success of the test, Coca-Cola Pakistan decided to acquire the system for long-term use throughout the country.

"Coca-Cola is an all-inclusive brand that revolves around bringing people together," said Rizwan U. Khan, general manager, Coca-Cola Pakistan. "It shrinks social barriers and encourages people to share their emotions and experiences.

However, despite reaching the masses, an estimated 9 million people here have some form of hearing impairment, and have not experienced the magic of Coke Studio. We are really happy that we are now able to make them a part of this unique experience and keep them connected with other people who have been enjoying Coke Studio for the past eight years."

Richard Geary, founder and director of the Deaf Reach Program in Pakistan endorsed the partnership with Coke Studio. "Our collaboration with Coke Studio reflects our approach towards opening new experiences for the deaf community and creating enabling opportunities for their inclusion and success," he said.

"Coke Studio’s new initiative will not only draw a circle to include those who are often marginalised, but serve to create more awareness and acceptance from the mainstream audience, helping them to better understand the challenges faced by the deaf community."

Season 9 of Coke Studio aired last month with performances from both established artists and talented newcomers.